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Disaster Aid, Farm Stress, Broadband Funding Wins for Farmers and Ra

Disaster Aid, Farm Stress, Broadband Funding Wins for Farmers and Ranchers Legislation to fund the government adopted by Congress this week contains many wins for American farmers and ranchers. From much-needed disaster aid to increased broadband access, rural communities will benefit from this legislation. “We are grateful to members of Congress from both parties for their work to develop and pass budget bills that will help farmers and ranchers on multiple fronts,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. Wins for American farmers and ranchers: ● $1.5 billion in additional disaster aid will expand recovery efforts to those impacted by severe weather in 2018 and 2019. ● Full funding of the Farmer and Rancher Stress Assistance Network at $10 million will help those struggling to cope with a tough year in agriculture. ● $550 million in grant funding for the ReConnect program will help expand broadband access to historically underserved communities. This will allow people living in these underserved areas to utilize new technologies to reach customers, access precision agriculture technology and connect to communities worldwide. ● Retroactively extending the biodiesel tax credit to apply to 2018 and 2019 and extending it through 2022 will bring stability to producers after years of debate in Congress. Ten biodiesel plants have halted production since the $1-per-gallon credit expired in 2017. Delaying the requirement for implementation of electronic logging devices on livestock haulers through Sept. 30, 2020 will help safeguard the welfare of livestock during transportation. Source: www.fb.org